Twisted Sisters
by darveyscactus
Summary: Donna's dad comes to town, with her 'much older' sister in tow. Donna is reluctant to see her, given their history, but Harvey convinces her to give family another chance.


**In 9.03 Donna told Louis she had a 'much older' sister and I couldn't stop thinking about that, so this happened. **

* * *

"So I have a question," he said, casually strolling into her office two cups of coffee in hand, his presence, and the caffeine that came with him, bringing a smile to her face. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was in a good mood, and she invited his question - sure to be a welcome distraction from the piles of financial documents she'd spent most of the day pouring through.

"And what's that, exactly?" she asked, accepting her cup of coffee from his outstretched hand.

"Why is it that _Elaine _just told me your father is in town next week?" he inquired.

"Is that cup of coffee I see sitting on her desk a _bribe _to get information from my assistant_, _Mr. Specter?" she joked. It was half hearted, but all she could muster in an effort to avoid a conversation she knew was coming one way or another.

"I didn't have to bribe her," he explained, "she assumed I already knew."

Donna let out a deflated sigh, shifting her gaze to her hands in her lap. Her father had called her a week ago letting her know he'd be in town. She'd asked Elaine to block off the time on her calendar, but she hadn't decided whether or not she wanted to see him, or how she wanted to broach the subject with Harvey.

"So I guess my real question is, why didn't you tell me?" he asked gently, rounding her desk and coming to sit on its surface beside her chair.

"Because," she started with a breath, "I haven't decided if I'm going to see him," she admitted, finally meeting his gaze.

"Donna," he replied, tone of surprise evident in his voice, "you _always _see your dad when he's in town. When you were at my desk you barely took vacation days, and when you did they were to spend time with him. What's going on?"

She couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face at Harvey's response. The fact that he remembered such a seemingly insignificant detail from years ago warming her heart.

"You're right," she said with a small nod, "but it's not just him that's coming. Miranda will be with him too," she finished.

"Ah, the illustrious 'Other Paulsen'," he said in an attempt to bring some levity, but he could tell by her posture and tone of voice that this unexpected visit from her sister had been weighing on her mind.

"I'm serious, Harvey! I haven't seen her in years," she explained, "I don't even know what we would say to each other at this point."

"Donna, I get it," he said simply, leaning closer to her and reaching his hand out to lightly touch her forearm, "families are complicated. But if I've learned anything from you," he paused, flashing her that grin he knew she couldn't resist, "it's that if a relationship _can _be fixed, we should at least _try."_

Donna sighed in response to his comment. Deep down she knew he was right, but so much had happened between the two of them over the years that even she wasn't sure where to start mending fences.

"Besides," he continued, aware that his last words were still sinking in, "she's your sister, aren't you going to want her there when we -." he paused with a gasp, his brain finally catching up to the words he was saying.

"When we _what_?" she pried, that sly smile on her face made him fairly certain she knew what he almost said.

"Nothing," he answered sheepishly, "when we nothing." She locked eyes with him as he spoke and made a mental note to revisit _that _particular conversation later.

"Things with Miranda," she paused as she searched for the right word, "have always been complicated," she admitted, redirecting the conversation, "and there's a lot I've never told you - or anyone, really," she explained.

"Well," he started, rising to his feet as his fingertips traced a pattern across the top of her palm, "what do you say I pick us up a large bottle of wine on the way home and tonight you can tell me whatever you'd like?" he suggested.

"Deal," she replied, "but only if you get chocolate too."

"For you? Anything."

* * *

It took a glass and a half of her favorite merlot before Donna finally started talking about Miranda, but once she did it all came out. Over the years, the only things Harvey had learned about Miranda, other than her existence, was the fact that she was much older and she and Donna had pretty much always been at odds. Because of that, Donna decided the best place to start was the beginning. Glass of wine in hand, she sunk back into the corner of the couch and told him everything.

_Her parents were high school sweethearts and Miranda had been an accident. Her mom got pregnant the summer before they were both set to start college and because they had planned to stay relatively close to home for school, they decided to keep the baby. Her dad got a business degree, and once Miranda was born, her mom started taking night classes and eventually became a preschool teacher once Miranda was old enough to start school._

_They waited until her dad graduated and got a job at a real estate investment firm before getting married. He was good at his job and rose through the company quickly. By the time Miranda was eight, they were living comfortably and could afford to send her to private school._

_Miranda was almost fourteen when Donna was born. Because of the large age gap, Donna had basically no memories from her childhood with Miranda, since she left for college just after her fifth birthday. She moved to Nashville and got a degree in interior design from Vanderbilt and fell in love with the Southern lifestyle. In college, she only came home for Christmas, and even then, only stayed for a couple days. A couple months after she graduated, she'd had a huge falling out with their mom and her visits home became even more infrequent._

_But it wasn't the distance from home or the large age difference between the two that caused problems to fester. As Donna got older, she really looked up to her sister - she loved how independent she was, and that she was succeeding in a field she was passionate about. When she was 11, her dad took her to visit Miranda in Nashville and Donna was in awe of her beautiful, fancy apartment and the life she'd built for herself. It was then that Donna remembered starting to dream about her future - she envisioned herself as a budding Broadway starlet with an apartment in Manhattan overlooking Central Park._

_Everything changed, though, when Donna was 13 and her father lost the family's money. She found herself starting to resent Miranda as things continued to deteriorate at home and she stayed in Nashville, seemingly unbothered by the whole situation. Donna eventually learned that her dad had established trust funds for both of them - Miranda had gotten full control of hers when she'd turned 21 but since Donna was still underage, her's had been lost with the rest of the family's money. As Donna got closer to going to college herself, every time she thought of Miranda, she was filled with ugly jealousy. As she filled out dozens of scholarship and financial aid applications, she couldn't help but hate that Miranda graduated college debt free and fully funded by their parents._

_Donna struggled through college and her first few years in New York, crammed into a tiny studio apartment with a roommate. At the request of their dad, she attempted to repair the relationship and one time, when Miranda was in the City for work, invited her to dinner. What happened instead though, was probably the worst fight they'd ever had. Both women throwing nasty accusations across the dinner table in a crowded restaurant, the evening ending with Donna storming out after calling Miranda a selfish bitch and leaving her with the bill._

_And that was the pattern they found themselves in for awhile. Every couple of years, their dad was able to convince one of them to extend the olive branch and attempt to make things better, but each time ended in a fight. They learned about each other's lives through their dad who, through it all, was committed to having a relationship with both of his daughters, even if they couldn't stand to be in the same room. He'd guilted Donna into going to her wedding, which he admitted was a mistake in hindsight as the night ended with both her and her mom blackout drunk and in tears on the floor of her hotel room._

_After she'd gotten married, Miranda had moved from Nashville back to her husband's hometown of Austin, Texas. He was an up and coming politician with a nasty ambition, and Donna hated everything about him and his ideals. Miranda had started coming to Donna for help in recent years, probably because their dad had given her an idea of her salary as Harvey's assistant, and eventually as the firm's COO. The last time the pair had spoken, Miranda had asked Donna to make a sizable contribution to her husband's gubernatorial campaign. Donna had refused immediately, citing her absolute disgust with his political rhetoric, and reminding Miranda of all the times she'd been denied financial assistance over the years. Months later, Donna watched with sly satisfaction as the opposing candidate won._

"And that about covers it," Donna said with a sigh, as she swallowed the last few drops from the bottle of wine they'd split.

"Wow," Harvey breathed, his sigh matching hers, "I don't know what to say," he admitted.

"Say you don't judge me?" she questioned sheepishly.

"Donna, why would I judge you?"

"Because," she began, "I hate her for something that was out of both of our control, and she brings out this raging jealousy in me, which I hate even more," she explained, looking up at him with a tentative gaze.

Harvey didn't reply immediately, but shifted their positions on the couch so that her back was resting against his chest.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch someone live their dream while you're struggling every day for yours?" she continued with a sigh, "and that person, someone who you're supposed to be able to count on, couldn't even be bothered to help you at least a little bit?"

Harvey could tell that she had more she wanted to say, so he traced his fingers up and down her arm as he waited for her to continue.

"She is without a doubt the most selfish person I know. Which makes me angry, because I try to be anything but," she explained, "And despite how much my circumstances have changed, I've never been able to shake that jealousy and resentment my teenage self felt towards her. And I hate being that jealous person, it makes me feel so ugly," she said, her voice growing quieter as she spoke the last few words.

"Thank you for telling me all this, Donna," he replied before planting a kiss to the top of her head.

She didn't respond, but turned her face to smile at him. He'd shared his own hard truths with her over the years, it was about time she did the same.

"As much as you're justified in your feelings, I think you should see her," he suggested, "she sounds _fascinating_," he admitted, "and I'd like to meet her."

"Oh god," she replied, unable to contain a laugh, "me and my sister, and you and my dad in the same room that's a recipe for disaster if I've ever heard one," she finished, shaking her head.

"See?" he joked, "you'll have a buffer," he explained.

"I'm saying yes on one condition," she said, after taking a deep breath.

"Anything," he replied sincerely.

"We need a safe word," she said with equal sincerity

"A what now?" he choked out.

"An escape plan," she explained, rolling her eyes as she realized where his mind had gone with her initial request, "something to get us out of there if things go to absolute shit," she continued.

"I'm sure we can arrange a Louis sized meltdown if necessary," he concluded.

* * *

He woke to the sun streaming in through a crack in the curtains. Instinctively, he reached across the bed to pull her closer to him, but his hand was met with nothing but bare sheets. He opened his eyes fully and searched his bedroom for any trace of her, listening to see if she'd already gotten in the shower. Just as he was about to get up and look for her, he heard the front door of the apartment slam loudly.

"You're up early, did you -," the rest of his sentence evaporating as he wandered further into the kitchen and took in her appearance. She was wearing athletic shorts and a tank top, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail and her entire body dripping with sweat.

"I went for a run," she said with a shrug as she reached into the cabinet above the sink and began filling up a glass of water.

"You went for a run?" he repeated.

"I couldn't sleep," she explained, taking a seat at one of the barstools and gesturing to the coffee pot, a silent request for him to make some.

"So you went for a run?" he asked again, confused.

"You already asked me that," she retorted.

"You _hate _running," he replied.

"I don't _hate _running," she said, attempting to argue with him.

"No Donna, you _hate _running," he said matter-of-factly.

"Okay fine," she relented with a slight pout, "I hate running."

"So why -," he started to ask as he passed her a banana and refilled her glass of water.

"I run when I'm trying to forget about something," she admitted quickly.

"Like this dinner with your dad and Miranda tonight," he understood.

"Like this dinner with my dad and Miranda tonight," she confirmed.

He didn't respond, but flashed her a reassuring smile as he dropped a splash of vanilla in her coffee and passed her the cup.

"Thank you for coming tonight," she replied, her eyes catching his over the rim of her coffee mug.

"Like I told you, anything for you," he said with a soft smile, moving to the other side of the counter so that he was standing in front of her, "besides, this _has _ to go better than that god awful dinner party with your mom, right?" he joked, which made her crack a smile.

"Oh my god," she said, rolling her eyes but unable to hide the small grin that spread across her face as she hopped off the stool. She grabbed his hand and led him to the shower to begin what was sure to be a very long day.

* * *

Dinner had gone better than Donna expected, but given how low her expectations had been, anything that didn't end in a physical altercation on the table between either herself and Miranda, or Harvey and her dad was a win in her book.

Miranda had been far too interested in Harvey to pay much attention to her. She had heard a little bit about him from those periodic updates from their dad, but she wanted to know more. She'd spent the entire appetizer course peppering him with all sorts of questions - everything from his client list, to hiring a fraud, to what it was that Donna actually _did _at the firm. Harvey handled the interrogation well, but when the questions concerned Donna he made a point to emphasize how good she was at her job and how much everyone on the firm, him especially, relied on her guidance.

The tension between the two of them was evident to Harvey as soon as they sat down. Throughout the meal, they'd made digs at one another, but not in the playful way he and Marcus did. Their comments came from a place of deep hurt and resentment and as the meal progressed, it was clear that the pain they'd caused one another wouldn't be fixed over one shared tiramisu. Despite it all, though, he'd been able to exchange a few pleasantries with Jim over the course of the meal, even sharing a lighthearted joke at Donna's expense. He knew there was work to do in mending that relationship too, but he was grateful that he wasn't the center of attention the first time he met him as Donna's boyfriend.

They left the restaurant in decent spirits, with Donna and Miranda exchanging a terse goodbye and Donna promising her dad another dinner with her and Harvey soon. Harvey could have sworn Jim even cracked a smile when the pair shook hands, so if nothing else, he'd take that as a win.

* * *

"Your hair is exactly the same color, your eyes are the same shape, _and _you have the same nose," he insisted, adamant to win the argument that began in the car that, despite everything, the two sisters had a lot in common.

"Harvey, we _are _related, that's how genetics work," she replied dismissively as she followed him into the apartment.

"But it's more than that," he continued, pouring them both a nightcap before settling down next to her on the couch, "it's your mannerisms too," he explained.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at him over the rim of her scotch glass, surprised by his comment. People were always quick to point out the similarities between the pair because, despite how much she hated to admit it, they did look very similar. But she'd never had someone comment on shared mannerisms, perhaps because few people besides their parents saw the in the same space. She was interested to hear what he'd picked up on in just one night.

"Well, for starters," he began, "when you rest your hands on the table, you both hold your left index finger with your right hand. You both did that a lot tonight because you do it when you're a little bit uncomfortable, and I'm guessing it's the same for her."

"Huh," she replied under her breath, impressed with his observational skills.

"And you look down ever so slightly when someone compliments you," he continued, "I've seen you do that for years, and always thought it was because you're so gracious, but now I see it's a Paulsen thing," he finished with a smile, his hand coming to rest on her knee.

Her gaze dropped down to their intertwined hands, and given what he'd just said, she cracked a smile. She looked back up at him and moved in to give him a quick, meaningful kiss.

"What was that for?" he asked with a grin when they separated.

"For being you," she replied sincerely, "and making me go tonight."

"I take it you had an okay time then?" he pried carefully, knowing if she wanted to discuss the evening, she'd have brought it up herself.

"Yeah, it was alright actually," she admitted, "I'm glad you and my dad didn't kill each other," she joked.

"You know that's not what I'm asking," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

"I know," she said with a sigh, "there's a lot of baggage there, but I couldn't help but notice how happy my dad looked tonight. It's important to him that we don't hate each other, and I guess I never really understood that until tonight," she admitted.

Harvey understood exactly what she meant, and he saw some of the same in Jim at dinner, a small smile spread across his face as he watched his two daughters make small talk about their jobs.

"But one dinner that ends without us screaming at each other doesn't mean I'm ready to vacation with her," she explained, and Harvey could see she was struggling with the situation, unsure what her next steps should be.

"What if you start small?" he suggested, "when's her birthday?"

"Next month," Donna replied, "I'll give her a call then?" she half asked, looking up at him for reassurance.

"That sounds perfect," he said, leaning in to plant a kiss on the top of her head before pulling her towards him as he reclined further on the couch, holding her body close to his.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review, if you'd like :)**


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